The Hawk and The Widow
by KKonTop
Summary: The Black Widow just got back from a mission that took nearly 3 years. How will her teammates react? How much has she changed? How much has her team changed?
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fanfiction for everyone to read. I'm so excited and hope that you like it!**

 **-kkontop**

 **BOOM!** One of the Hydra bases we blown up once again by the Avengers. Captain America along with Falcon, Iron Man, Hawkeye, and Thor were waiting for Hulk to come out of the building. "Come on big guy." Tony pleaded under his breath. It was a few moments before they heard a deep voice yell, "HULK SMASH!" Hulk smashed through the rubble grunting as he darted toward the rest of the team. "Hold up mean green, calm down before you smash us into dust." Clint announced," I still want to make it back to the tower in one piece. There are extra clothes in the bathroom." Hulk grunted and jumped onto the Avenjet, de-hulked, then headed straight to the bathroom to change. Bruce walked out of the bathroom and sat down in one of the chairs. They sat in silence the whole flight back to Stark Tower.

The team had made it back to Stark Tower when they got a call from Nick Fury. He demanded every one of their tails down at the helicarrier in 20 minutes. They all groaned and complained as they walked back to the Avenjet. 15 minutes later, they arrived at the S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier where Nick Fury was waiting. "Okay Eye Patch, what did you want to tell us?" Tony said in an annoyed tone."Agent Romanoff is getting back tomorrow, and I need you to throw a little welcome back party for her." Fury said in a rather emotionless tone."Really! We haven't seen her for almost 3 years. I wonder if she has changed." Clint blurted out. "Where has she been this whole time?" asked Steve. "That is something she will tell you. But if it took nearly 3 years, then it has to be something big." Nick replied sternly. "Well, what are you waiting for. Get your asses up and star setting up!" Nick barked. "Yes sir!" They replied in unison.

Today was the day Natasha would be getting back. The Avengers were overwhelmed with joy and fear at the same time. The party was set up, everyone was there, and now they were just waiting for Natasha to walk through the doors. Moments later, they heard a plane land. She walked down the hallway and was greeted by the one and only Nick Fury. "It's good to see you again Agent Romanoff." Nick said pulling her into a hug. "It's good to be back, Fury. Sorry I was gone for a long time." She replied. "Don't worry about it. Now come on, your Co workers and team are waiting for you." He said cracking a smile.

Nick walked through the doors with Natasha following him. The guys didn't notice she was there until the girls screamed her name. Pepper, Jane, Maria, and Wanda ran up to her and giving her a big group hug. They noticed that Natasha's hair was no longer at her shoulders, but now at the middle of her back. Her fiery red hair was perfectly curled into little ringlets and tucked behind her ears. She had grown an inch or two and was now only a little shorter than Pepper. They all complemented her on how different she was. The boys couldn't really see her until the girls backed away from her. They were stunned from her appearance. She changed a lot, but in a good way. Natasha didn't realize the boys were there until she looked towards the left corner then turned away when Jane caught her attention. The boys noticed her reaction and started walking toward her. Tony whistled and said, "Where have you been Nat?" She turned to him, her curls bouncing then settling back down. She then replied, "Don't call me that" in a stern and forward way. "And hold on, I'm talking to someone." With that, she turned back to Jane who was talking to her about what she had been doing for the past 2 years. The guys exchanged surprised looks. "And the widow bites." Tony said sighing. A few minutes went by and she turned back to them with a small smile. "Okay, what do you want?" She asked. "We want to know where the hell you've been for nearly 3 years!" Sam yelled. "Just visited some old friends. And a mission." Clint knew she was talking about the KGB. They all gave her a concerned look. "Look, I'm fine, and that is all that matters." she said with a serious look. "Tasha," Clint started, " You have been gone for nearly 3 years, we were worried sick about you when you didn't come back after the month of the mission. We just want to make sure that you are okay." Clint states. "Guys, I- can we not talk about this right now? After all we are at a party. Dump all your questions later." Natasha fired back, clearly annoyed at their behavior. She then turned around and walked back to Pepper, Jane, Maria, and Wanda. "Yeah, sure Tasha..." Clint said under his breath. "Don't you worry Brother Clinton, Lady Natasha will surely talk to us later." Thor patted his back as they walked back to their corner. "I sure hope so." Clint said in a very quiet voice.

 **What do you think so far? Please tell me if I need to improve on anything. Anyways, it was fun writing this. I'm sure there is more to come in the future. Thank you for reading!**

 **-kkontop**


	2. chapter 2

"So Natasha, where have you been? We have missed you like crazy!" Pepper asked excitedly. "Old friends, gathering intel on Hydra bases, and just some simple missions. Nothing I can't handle. Fury contacted me a few weeks ago and told me that he had enough intel for him to figure out exactly what they are planning. It took a few years, but hey, I'm fine." she replied with a smirk. " You have grown a little. You are almost as tall as Pepper here." Jane blurted out. Natasha scoffs." Oh come on I haven't changed as much as you think I did." Maria noticed a cut on the side of Natasha's head."Hey Nat," Maria started. "that cut on the side of your head will not work." Maria got out her make-up and started applying it to her cut. They were in their own world, not knowing the boys were watching.

The guys watch Maria apply the make-up to Natasha's head. "What are the ladies doing?" asked Thor curiously. "Make-up. It looks like they're covering up a cut. " Replied Tony. "That's what she usually did when she had a cut or bruise on her head" Bruce said. It was silent and all they could hear were the girls. They watched Pepper part Natasha's hair sideways through the middle. She braided two big strands of her curly locks and pulled it into a ponytail. Then she brushed out the bottom of her hair to find that there were no knots in it, the brush just glided through. Pepper seemed to be happy, and Maria, Jane, and Natasha were talking. A few minutes later, Pepper was done with her hair and then Natasha got up and walked out. The girls started walking over to the boys.

Hello ladies. We're did Little Red go? Tony asked. She went to the bathroom to see what we did to her." Jane chucked. "She stated, 'If I look like a loon, then someone is going to get hurt'." The guys start to laugh. "How do you feel her being back?" asked Maria. "Happy and terrified" replied Sam "Good job, I don't look like a loon." A familiar voice filled the room. Natasha was walking towards them. She wore skinny jeans, a black and white striped shirt with black boots that hugged her ankles. "Sorry I blew you off boys, but I don't like being interrupted." She said cracking a smile. Her Russian accent was now starting to show. Her green eyes shined brighter with the sun hitting them at the perfect angle. "So, will you tell us where you have been for nearly three years?" Steve asked impatiently. "Okay, I've been in Russia, that's why I picked up my accent. I gathered intel from the biggest Hydra base there. A few missions here and there and some encounters from old friends." She replied with a small smile. She noticed Clint stiffened at her last three words. "That's pretty much it." She finally finished. The guys had blank faces except Clint who looked concerned. "Don't worry Little Birdy. There is nothing to be concerned about." She patted his back.

The day dragged on and now the group of friends were settled in Stark Tower curled up in the living room watching a movie. Clint sat by Natasha like he used to do. Tony sat by Pepper, Sam sat by Maria, Thor sat by Jane, Wanda sat by Pietro, and Steve and Bruce sat next to each other. Surprisingly, the first to fall asleep was Natasha, but they really couldn't blame her, she had a long flight back and moved around a lot today. Pepper nudged Clint, "Is she asleep?" she asked. He nodded and looked at the red head that was sleeping on his shoulder. Pepper couldn't hold back a chuckle. The movie was soon to be over and now everyone noticed that she was sound asleep. They could help but smile at the sight. The movie had ended and everyone was cleaning up. "Well, I'm going to take Little Red to her room." Clint announced and with that, he scooped Natasha into his arms and walked towards the newly added room that would now be hers. He laid her down on the bed and planted a kiss on her forehead. "It's good to have you back, Nat." He whispered and walked out of the room quietly closing the door behind him. He walked into his room that was next to hers and laid down and drifted off to sleep.

I own nothing.

I hope you liked it.

more is to come soon


	3. Chapter 3

"Wake up everyone, for breakfast is here" The voice of Jarvis echoed throughout the tower. Everyone was now at the dining table talking. Natasha had walked wearing tights and a S.H.I.E.L.D t-shirt, her red hair was braided to the side with a few loose strands. She sat down next to Pepper and Clint. Bruce served everyone pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Natasha had only eaten half of her plate then pushed it away. Everyone stared at her with concern."Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm just not hungry." She got up and headed to her room. When they heard her door close, they started talking again."What's up with her?" Steve whispered to the Clint. "I don't know. Maybe she doesn't have an appetite." Clint whispered back. Wanda finished first and stood up."I'm going to go check on her" she stated. Everyone nods in response, then she walks to her room and quietly opens the door, walks in and closes it. Wanda found her sitting on her bed and reading a novel. "Hey Wanda." She finally spoke up. "Hey yourself. What are you reading?" She replied slowly walking to her bed. "Walls Down, it's a good book, you should read it sometime." She replied with a smile. "I don't know if could finish it." Wanda chuckled. "Nat" Wanda started,"are you okay?" Natasha looked up at Wanda's brown eyes. "How many times do I have repeat myself? Wanda, I'm fine. I just don't have a big appetite." Wanda looked into her eyes and saw truth. "Well if you're fine, that means you can come hang out." Wanda stated. "But not dressed like that." Wanda walked into her closet to find some capris, a white shirt, and white shoes. "Here, put this on, I'll wait." Natasha went to the bathroom to change and came back out looking like a regular person. "Now, about the hair, take it out of the braid and just let it flow." Natasha did so and Wanda smiled. "Now you are ready! Come on, let's go." Wanda said while pulling her out. They walked out of Natasha's room to find everyone in the living room watching TV. "Hey ladies" Clint said when he noticed their presence. Everyone shifted their eyes to them. "Well, that is the first time that I've seen you wear casual clothing in a long time." Sam was the second to speak. Everyone was sitting in the spots they were in the night before. Natasha sat next to Clint like always and then all eyes shifted on her. "What?" she said in soft but stern voice. "Are you okay?" Bruce said in a quiet voice. "Guys, I'm fine, there is no need to stress. I've responded to that question multiple times. I'm fine, really." Natasha smiled. Everyone nodded in response and turned their attention back to the screen in front of them.

An hour had passed and the girls got up and went to the mall. As soon as the door closed and clicked, 10 eyes had pin pointed Clint. "What!" Clint finally yelled. "Don't you know what is wrong with her?" Sam asked. "Actually, no, I don't" Clint replied. "She is different...She even picked up her Russian accent again. She has lost her appetite, she is not talking as much, and... I'm just worried about her." Clint sighed. "Clint, you gotta know that she has changed, or she is totally playing us." Steve rested a hand on Clint's shoulder. "I know, I know, but she hasn't really talked to us as much as she has talked to the girls." He retaliated. "Well, are _you_ okay? You seem a little off after Little Red got back." Tony asked. "Yeah, I'm fine, let's just watch TV.


	4. Chapter 4

The girls got back around 1:45 in the afternoon to find the boys in the same spot as they were from when they left. "Have any of you moved at all since we left?" Jane asked coldly. " No, not really. Does it really matter?" Sam shrugged his shoulders and turned back to the screen."Oh come on. You can't just sit around all day. At least go for a run or something." Natasha put her hands on her hips, her bags rattled as they transitioned. "But today was a lazy day." Tony whined. "At least do something productive." Pepper shot back. "What did you do at the mall that was productive?" Pietro was now crossing his arms. " For your information, we didn't just got to the mall you know. We went grocery shopping, we got the car fixed after you broke it, and we got new clothes for Natasha because the rest of her clothes were for going undercover." Wanda had also place her hands on her hips. "Can we stop arguing. We weren't productive today and you were. Conversation over." Clint yelled. "But, they are-" Steve started but stopped when Natasha pulled Wanda out of the room. "What's wrong with her" Bruce said quietly. "I don't know. She has been normal all day. She smiled and laughed today, nothing out of the ordinary." Jane replied. "Uh guys" Wanda said quietly. Everyone turned their attention to Wanda. "Natasha has a pounding headache and a bad stomachache as well. I checked her temperature and it was 108. She went to go lay down in her room. I promised that I wouldn't leave her side, so I need to go. Don't make too much noise please." With that said, she walked off to Natasha's room. Wanda quietly entered Natasha's room to find her asleep. She went to the bathroom, got a rag, and ran it under hot water. She ringed out the rag, folded it, and placed it on Natasha's forehead. She would read for 20 minutes, then replace the rag. She did that for a hour and switched shifts with Pepper. Wanda and Pepper switched shifts until her temperature went down. They both fell asleep in Natasha's room on her couches. Pepper and Wanda woke up to a sleeping Natasha. They quietly made their way out of her room and into the dining room. They took their seats and were served their breakfast. The first to speak was Jane. "How is she doing?" "Her temperature went down, but she hasn't woken up. She also didn't move around too much. I don't think she's going to have an appetite, at least for the morning." Wanda replied. "Well at least she is getting rest. We don't know how she slept for the past few years so this might make her feel better." Steve said with a mouthful of eggs. "Didn't your mom teach you not to talk with a mouthful? A raspy voice came from behind him. The red head walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. "I thought you didn't have an appetite." Bruce said. "I don't. Do you not hear my voice? I'm looking for a lemon." Her voice was broken up a little. "A lemon? Why do you need a lemon?" asked Sam. "Lemons help with sore throats and it clears your voice." Maria replied. Natasha finally found a lemon and squirted some in a little water, then she sucked the rest of the juice out and drank the lemon-water. She then walked back to her room and closed the door. Natasha came out of her room an hour later and was greeted by Pepper. "Are you feeling any better?" She asked. "A lot better. I'm just heading down to the library, I need a new book." Her voice was better but still a bit raspy. "Mind if we join, I need a new book too." Wanda walked into the room. "No, I don't mind company." Natasha replied. "Okay then, let's go." Pepper said with a smile. They walked to the elevator and went down to the first floor, then got in the car and drove to the library.

The drive was 20 minutes to and from the library. Natasha, Pepper, and Wanda came back to the tower and settled down on their floor. They sat down on the couches, plugged in their earbuds, began reading. The room was silent until the rest of the the boys and girls walked in. Natasha looked up from her book then continued reading. She turned up her music a little to block out everyone in the room. Out of the corner of her eye, the TV turned on, but she kept her focus on the words in her book. Wanda was reading, but kept getting distracted and Pepper was still reading like nothing was happening.


	5. Chapter 5

Natasha felt her feet rise and settle back down, but she just kept reading. Natasha read in her spare time and when she wanted to enclose herself in her own world of words. She looked up from her book and unplug unplugged her earbuds when someone tapped her shoulder."Yes?" she said softly. "It's your turn to choose a movie." Steve said in a low voice. She swung her legs off the couch and headed to the shelf of movies, then was soon joined by Wanda. Clint and Steve settled their gaze on them. "Those two are inseparable. If they are apart, they find a way to get back to each other." Steve spoke softly. "Wanda deeply cares for Natasha. Natasha is the one that truly understands her. They are like sisters that never fight." Clint said with a smile. Wanda and Natasha stood up and walked to the kitchen. Soon the smell of popcorn filled the air. A total of three bowls of popcorn were set around the area. The girls smiled and parted ways to different sides of the room. Wanda sat by Pietro and Natasha sat by Clint. The movie was a 3 hour long action, comedy, and horror. During the last hour of the movie, Natasha fell asleep on Clint's shoulder. He gently moves her head down to his lap and continues to watch the movie. By the end, everyone was knocked out.

Wanda woke up and the others following. The cute site of Clint and Natasha filled their heads. Natasha was laying on Clint's lap peacefully. His hand rested lightly on the side of her stomach. Their breathing pattern matched the other's. "Jarvis," Tony whispered, "take a picture of this" Then they snuck out of the room so that they didn't disturb the two.

15 minutes later, Natasha walked into the kitchen. "Good morning sleepy head." Pepper said with a smile. "Morning." She responded. She walked to the cabinet and grabbed a cup. Natasha poured herself some orange juice and sat down at the table next to Pepper. "So, what did you girls do yesterday?" Tony broke the silence. "We went to the library to get new books, then we came home and started reading. We didn't really do much." Wanda said as she mixed her coffee. "Well we went to check out new cars and watched a car show." Sam said with excitement in his voice. "Don't you think that you already have enough cars?" Natasha said in a playful tone. "There was no such thing as too many cars." Tony said with a smile. "Whatever you say Iron-head." Maria said with a smile. The others sneaked a chuckle or two. "Ah, this is going to be a long day." Tony said with a sigh.

Natasha, Wanda, and Pepper went for a walk. Tony, Bruce, and Sam were down in the lab.

Maria was at work. Steve, Thor, Pietro, and Clint were sitting in the living room. "So, you and Natasha." Steve started. "Is there something going on between you two?" "There is absolutely nothing going on between us." He replied. "Do you want there to be something between you two?" Pietro asked. Clint tensed up as the question was asked. "Well, I like her, but if she doesn't like me back, that could ruin our current friendship. I don't want to lose what we already have." Clint said with a sigh. Thor patted his back almost making him fall. "Brother Clinton, fear not for I will give you the ad-" "There is no way that I will take advice from a god." Clint said shaking his head.


	6. Chapter 6

Their hair was pinned to their head by sweat. "That was my work out for the week." Wanda said between pants as they stepped into the elevator. Peper and Natasha chuckled at that comment. "Are y'all up for smoothies?" Pepper asked. "Yes!" Wanda and Natasha replied in unison. The doors slid open and they stepped out and into the kitchen. "Look who finally showed up. You guys are very sweaty." Steve said. "No duh captain obvious, we have been running." Wanda said while opening her smoothie. "I'm going to take a shower" Natasha said as she put her smoothie back into the refrigerator. She left the room and everyone started talking again.

Everyone was sitting in the living room watching Tony and Steve debate on who is stronger. Natasha walked in wearing jeans, a light blue plaid shirt, light blue flats, an her hair was nicely brushed out. "Ooh, special occasion Natasha?" Tony asked. "More or less. I'm expecting some somebody important." she replied. The elevator dinged and opened, everyone turned their attention to the elevator. "Talia!" a male voice yelled. Natasha ran up to the mystery man and hugged him. He picked her up and spun her around. They pulled away for the rest of the team to see who it was. He had fiery red hair and emerald green eyes, just like Natasha. He was a good 6 inches taller than her. "Guys, this is Alex. Alex, this is my team. That's Pepper, Wanda, Maria, and Jane. Then there is Tony, Steve, Clint, Bruce, Thor, Pietro, and Sam. "Hey Alex" they said in unison. "Come sit down" Natasha grabbed his wrist and pulled him to the couch. They sat down and Steve was the first to break the silence. "So, where are you from?" "I'm from Russia. I grew up with this tiny red head." Alex smiled and patted her on the back. Tony hesitated, but asked, "How long have you been together?" "Oh, we're not together, we are related. She is my only sibling." Alex answered. "Then who is older? asked Maria. "I am obviously. That means I am very protective of my sister which means if any of you hurt her, I will-" Natasha put her hand over his mouth. "Okay different subject. How about we play a bored game." "Wait wait wait, one more question. Why did you call her 'Talia'?" Sam asked. "That's my nick name for my real first name. Natalia Alianovna Romanova. I just chose to go by Natasha, and no one can call me by my actual name except Alex. Got it?" Natasha responded. They all nodded and Natasha got up to get the bored game. Nick's face soon popped up on the screen.. "Avengers, suit up, there is an alien invasion at Central Park." "Alright everyone, you heard the man, suit up." Steve said "I'm way ahead of you. I'll be waiting." Natasha walked in with her black cat suit and combat boots.

Everyone was on the battlefield including Alex. Wanda, Pietro and Alex were fighting in the park. Tony, Bruce, Sam and Thor were taking out aliens that were on the perimeter. Steve, Natasha, and Clint were fighting together on the streets to clear out buildings. They were in the same building but on different floors. As aliens destroyed New York, the building started to shake. "Guys, this thing is going to collapse, you need to get out. Does anyone copy?" Tony said into his intercom. "I copy" Natasha, Steve and Clint said in unison. "Don't do anything stupid. Do anything to get you out of that building." He said. "Got it, you heard him Clint, nothing stupid." Steve said. Steve and Clint made it out onto the streets. "Tasha, are you still inside." Clint asked into his intercom. At first there was static. "Yeah...I'm trapped. Some debris fell on my leg, and all of the exits are blocked up." She said in a painful voice. The building took another hit and more debris fell around her. The static grew in his ear leaving him even more worried than before. An aircraft crash was the last step to make the building collapse. "Tasha, you there?" Tears formed in his eyes when all he heard was static. He forced himself not to cry and motioned Steve to help find her. They searched and soon the rest of the Avengers joined on the search. Nothing.

Finally, Clint and Wanda stumbled upon Natasha. Blood trickles down the side of her head into her hair. There was debris on her leg and abdomen. They pushed the debris off and Clint pulled her into his arms. She was cold, but still a little warm. He stood up with her still in his arms, only to find a little girl about four or five years old. She had long straight red hair and glistening, ocean blue eyes. She was still breathing and looked in good shape, but the ocean in her eyes told a different story. She was terrified, sad, and relieved at the same time. Wanda picked her up and asked for her name and age. "My name is Kendall Smith and I am four years old." "Well Kendall, you have a beautiful name. Where's your mommy?" Wanda asked. "She got out, but I didn't make it in time. Then she found me," Kendall pointed to Natasha "and covered me from falling rocks. I don't know where my mommy is." Kendall said as she wiped her eyes. "Come on, let's search the streets for your mommy, okay?" She only nodded in response, resting her head on Wanda's shoulder.

Natasha's face was pale, her skin was cold, and her vitals were quite weak. He escorted her to the nearest hospital along with the rest of the Avengers. Once they got in the car, everyone looked at her worriedly. "What happened to her?" Alex's eyes were wide as he asked. "She protected a little girl from falling debris. Debris fell on her abdomen and left leg." Clint said quietly in a rather trembling voice. "The girl was unharmed, so Wanda took the her to go find her mother, but I don't think that is going to turn out well. I passed a lot of dead bodies under debris as we were searching." The rest of the ride was silent. They soon got her into a private room where she had blood pumped into her system and an oxygen mask. Unfortunately, two ribs were broken, and her leg just needed to rest. She got a few stitches and some tape wrapped around her abdomen and her leg. Natasha was now resting and looked perfectly fine, aside from her injuries. Clint finally took that sigh of relief as he looked at the red head.


	7. Chapter 7

"I'm so sorry that we couldn't find your mommy, Kendall." Wanda said as she gave her a tight squeeze. "Its okay. At least I have someone with me." Kendall looked down at her shoes. "Hey, let's go get some new clothes, then make a card, and go visit my friend and give it to her. How does that sound?" Wanda asked. Kendall's face lit up and nodded in response. "Okay, then let's go!" Wanda said with excitement. They walked to the mall and found some new clothes for Kendall. She got some overalls, dresses, outfits and shoes. Then they visited the craft store for some supplies. Lastly, they went to get her Natasha a present, and maybe a present for themselves, too! They made their way back to the hospital and walked into the waiting room. Everyone's attention was now on them. "Guys, this is Kendall, the child that Natasha protected. Sadly we couldn't find her mother, so she will be staying with us. I don't want her to have to go to the orphanage." Wanda said with a smile. "H-hi." Kendall said in a quiet and soft tone. "Hey Kendall, I'm glad that you are safe, and I know that our friend feels the same way. Welcome to the family" Steve said with a smile. "And there is no need to be scared, you are surrounded by nice people." Maria said with a big grin. "Your friend is now awake and accepting visitors." The doctor said as everyone stood up. Wanda took Kendall's hand and walked into Natasha's room. She smiled as everyone entered. "How are you holding up?" Alex asked. "Good, there is only pain when a move too fast." She said a small smile. Natasha noticed Wanda was holding a little girl's hand. "And who might you be, cutie" Natasha said as her smile got wider. "Natasha, this is Kendall, the little girl you saved. Kendall, this is my best friend, Natasha." Wanda said as they walked closer to her bed. "You have a very pretty name." Kendall said shyly. "Aw thank you. Your name is beautiful. There is no need to be shy, you are safe, okay?" Natasha said. Kendall smiled, "Okay. I made these for you." She said as she pulled a card and a box out of her princess backpack. She handed them to Natasha and she took it. Natasha opened the card and her smile grew bigger. Then she opened the box. The box held a necklace with a heart and a key charm. "Oh, you are too sweet, thank you." Natasha pulled her into a hug and Kendall hugged back. "You're welcome." The rest of the Avengers were surprised about this side of Natasha. Clint could tell that Natasha was actually happy by the look in her eyes. "Oh my gosh, Natasha are you okay?" Pepper busted through the door. "What happened? When was it? Do you need surgery?" "Pepper calm down, I'm okay." Natasha said as she pulled away from the hug. "Who is that?" Pepper asked. "That's Kendall. I saved her from a falling building. She is very sweet." Pepper smiled. "Hello, I'm Pepper. It's very nice to meet you." "It's nice to meet you too." She said in a soft tone. "Ah, you're a little shy one aren't ya." Kendall nodded and tightened her grip on Wanda's hand. "Is anyone hungry?" Pietro asked. "Yes! everyone said in unison. Kendall just nodded. "Are you allergic to anything, Kendall?" Wanda crouched down and asked. "No, I don't think so." "What do you like to eat?" "I love chicken nuggets." Kendall replied. "Okay, chicken nuggets for Kendall and shawarma for everyone else." Wanda said. "Got it, we'll be right back." Tony said.Then Steve, Alex, Thor, Pietro, Bruce, Clint and Tony left, leaving Pepper, Maria, Wanda, and Kendall. "Does anyone want to watch a movie?" Natasha asked. "Can we watch Inside Out? It's my favorite movie." Kendall asked. "No problem. Inside Of it is." Wanda and Kendall shared a couch while Pepper and Maria shared another. They were 20 minutes into the movie when the food came. The girls got their food and the boys sat on the floor to enjoy the movie. Time passed and the boys went home. The girls decided to stay and keep Natasha company. Kendall fell asleep first, then Natasha, Pepper, Wanda, then Maria.

The next morning, Jane came to visit. "Natasha, I was so worried about you. Thank God you are okay." She gave Natasha a hug. "I brought all of us some breakfast. Here Kendall, I got you some pancakes." She handed them to Kendall. "Thank you..." "Jane, my name is Jane." "Here are waffles for Pepper, breakfast burrito for Maria, and pancakes for Wanda and Natasha. I got a biscuit, eggs and bacon." "Thank you Jane. I hate hospital food." "No problem. I will always bring you food when you are in the hospital." Jane said. Everyone started laughing. The nurse came in the room "Miss. Romanoff will be able to go home after we run a few more tests."

 **A Few More Tests Later...**

"Make sure not to move too fast. And take pain killers if you have to." The nurse said. "Thank you." Natasha said as they walked out of the door. They all piled into Jane's car and drove to the tower.

"Hello? Anybody home?" Jane said as they walked out of the elevator. "Good morning ladies" Steve said as he walked towards them. "Steve... that's my line" Tony whinned. "Grow up, Tony" Pepper said with a slight smile. "Oh Pepper, you know I can't do that. But anyways, I have a special project that awaits all the girls." Tony responded. "Oooh.What is it?" Wanda said as she hopped. "Something messy and crafty. You know what, follow me." Tony lead them to a now empty room beside Natasha's.


	8. Chapter 8

"This room will now be owned by Kendall and we are going to customize it for her and by we, I mean you. Since you are all girls, I figured that you would know what a little girl would like in her room. And Kendall, you are free to help." "Can we start now?" Kendall asked quietly. "Yes you can. You guys will have to go to the store, though. Bring Steve with you for the heavier things" Tony said. Kendall smiled and and thanked him. "Come on, let's go everyone" Wanda said as they walked out of the room. "STEVE! Meet us at the car!" Jane called. "OKAY!" he responded.

They made their way to IKEA with Steve. "So Kendall, what's your favorite color?" Steve asked. "Umm, I like a light pink" "Then light pink paint and a light blue. A white wood twin sized bed, a white rug, a desk, a chair, and a few decorations should do it." Steve said feeling pleased with himself. "We will check everything out, and head home to start on our project." Natasha said with a smirk. "Yay!" Kendall yelled. "This is going to be fun!" she said and bounced in excitement. "Then let's go!" Wanda said as they strolled down to the check out zone.

As soon as they finished, Kendall changed into her pajamas and was fast asleep in her new room. Everyone crept out quietly, said their goodnight and went to their rooms.

Kendall's eyes snapped open. She was breathing heavily as tears formed in her eyes. She sat up trembling, slid on her slippers, and tiptoed to Natasha's door. She quietly opened the door and immediately caught Natasha's attention. "He sweetie, what are you doing I at this hour?" Natasha asked softly. "I-I had a scary dream" Kendall tried to fight back the tears, but Natasha saw right through her. "Come here." Natasha patted a spot on the bed. Kendall closed the door and slowly walked over to the bed. She sat down and felt a pair of warm arms pull her into a hug. That was the moment when Kendall finally broke down. "Shhh...It's going to be okay. You are safe and surrounded by loving people who care about each other, especially you. I care a lot about you." Natasha's voice cracked a bit on the last sentence. She rocked Kendall back and forth until she fell asleep in her warm grasp. She pulled the blanket over them and fell asleep.

8:03 AM: Dining/Kitchen/Living Room

Everyone was either in the dining room, kitchen, or the living room except Natasha and Kendall. Alex, Bruce and Tony were in the kitchen making breakfast. Pietro, Wanda, Pepper, and Steve were sitting at the dining table. Maria, Sam, Thor, Jane and Clint were in the living room watching TV. "I'm surprised that she is still asleep." Tony said as he whisked the eggs. "When we were little, she was always the first one up." Alex said with a chuckle. "Why?" Bruce stopped to look at him. "Dad always said 'The Early Bird gets the worm'. He was in the army, so it was something he said often. The one time she slept in, was the time that she caught me off guard. Somehow she begged her way to get the worm. Mom and dad couldn't resist those rare puppy eyes, but to be honest, I couldn't either. She was a lot sweeter when she was little. Now it's hard to get her to laugh." "Clint makes her laugh sometimes. We only get her to laugh when one of us does something incredibly stupid. By us, I mean Tony or Thor. She also laughs when she is around the girls." Tony said. "Yeah, the girls are very special to her, especially Wanda. They are very close considering that they understand each other on a deeper level than anyone else. To sum it up, they are practically sisters." Bruce said with a smile. "Hey, I'm going to go check on them. I'll be right back." Wanda popped into the kitchen and went down to the end of the hall.

First, Wanda checked Kendall's room only to find it empty, but clean. She went next door to Natasha's room. She cracked open the door that behind it showed a sweet scene. Kendall was laying in Natasha's lap. Natasha started to wake up when Wanda entered the room. "Wake up sleepyhead" Wanda whispered as she made her way to the bed. "Aw, this is too cute." Wanda said. "She had a nightmare last night and came here. She cried herself to sleep. We should wake her up." Natasha said while yawning. They shake Kendall until her eyes slowly open. "Morning sleepyhead." Natasha said as she lifted Kendall's head. Kendall just yawned and stretched as she replied "Morning." "Come on, let's get ready for the day.


	9. Chapter 9

Wanda turned and walked out of Natasha's room, leaving the two to get ready. She returned to the dining area where everyone was now sitting. "I just saw one of the cutest scenes ever." Wanda said as she entered the room. "Apparently, Kendall had a nightmare and went to Natasha's room. Then she broke down in Natasha's arms and fell asleep. I woke Natasha and Kendall up so they should be in here in a few minutes. But I should have taken a picture because it was C-U-T-E." "Aw, has Natasha gone soft?" Clint teased. "You could say that...or you can say that I do actually have a sweet side" A familiar voice filled the room. Natasha. She walked in with Kendall pinned to her side. Natasha had changed out her bandages on her torso and leg. Natasha took her seat in between Clint and Wanda, then patted her lap on her good leg for Kendall to sit down, since she doesn't have a chair yet. Bruce, Tony, and Alex served breakfast and everyone dug in. "So, Natasha, the great, emotionless Black Widow does have a sweet side?" Tony asked with an arched eyebrow. "Don't be surprised, Stark. I have always had a sweet side. I just didn't show it as much as people would like me to. Besides, I only show that side for people I deeply care about." Natasha replied and took a bite of her eggs. Kendall smiled and took a sip of orange juice. Tony looked back and forth between Natasha and Kendall. "What?" Natasha asked as she cocked her head to the side. "Nothing, nothing at all." Tony said without hesitation. Natasha arched an eyebrow, then turned back to her food.

Everyone has their little side conversations as always. One by one everyone finished and washed their dish. Once they all finished, they sat down in the living room. Today was going to be a lazy day, as Tony calls it. "Today is Lazy Day. I suggest we should have a Fast and Furious movie marathon!" Tony announced. Everyone cheered. "If we have time, can we watch the Hunger Games movies...please?" Clint begged. "IF we have time. I make no promises, Katniss." Tony said with a shrug. Clint silently cheered. "What is a movie marathon?" Kendall whispered in Natasha's ear. " It's when you watch all the movies in one series without stopping." Natasha replied in a whisper. "But these movies are for grown ups, so here." She handed Kendall her phone and earbuds. "Watch anything appropriate for your age." "Okay, thank you." "No problem." She replied. Kendall plugged in the earbuds, found Netflix and started watching Care Bears. "Well, she is occupied. Is the movie on?" Natasha asked. "No. Not yet." Sam said. "Well, while we wait, might as well make some popcorn" Maria said as she pushed herself off of the couch. 10 minutes later, the sweet, mouth watering smell of buttery popcorn filled the room. As always, popcorn was set all around the room. Tony finally turned on the first movie, and the lights dimmed. The only light sources were Natasha's phone and the TV screen. There was laughing all around. Everyone had handfuls of popcorn and lots of soda. By the fourth movie, it was 5 o'clock. Everyone seemed tired, but still kept their email peeled. Kendall had fallen asleep in Natasha's lap by the time the sixth movie rolled around. When the last movie was finally over, Natasha was asleep on Clint's shoulder. It was two in the morning and everyone was snoozing away.

It was about four in the morning and everything seemed fine, but Kendall was going through yet another nightmare. She started to tremble and whimper. Natasha, being a light sleeper, woke up from Kendall's whimpering. Natasha pulled her into a hug. "It's okay, your safe" Natasha whispered and rubbed her back. Kendall's muscles relaxed and her whimpering stopped. Natasha went back to sleep on Clint's shoulder with Kendall on her chest. Clint smiled to himself, then put an arm around them and pulled them close.

The sun was rising above the horizon and light was peering through the windows. One ray of light glistened on Clint's face, slowly waking him up. He put his hand up, blocking the sun from his eyes. He looked down to his side to see two redhead angels. He thought about how Natasha cared about Kendall. He thought about what or who she meant when she said she was only sweet to people she deeply cared about. She was sweet to him, and he could tell that she deeply cared about Kendall. He knew that he deeply cared for Natasha and Kendall's safety. He shifted his eyes to Kendall, who laid on Natasha's chest. He saw the way she looked at Natasha. It was different than the way she looks at Wanda. Kendall looks at Natasha like she is special. Like she can trust her with her life. Like she could care for her. He looked back to Natasha, then to Alex. "They really do look alike" he thought to himself. His thoughts were interrupted when a message popped up on Natasha's phone. It read, "Doctors Appointment tomorrow at three o'clock pm." Another popped up, but from someone else. From someone named Luara. It read, "Auntie Nat! It's Lila. We're coming to visit you and daddy. Mommy said to meet us in the lobby of the tower with daddy at 1:20 this afternoon. Cooper and Peter are also excited to see you. See you later!" Clint smiled and looked back at Natasha who was now stirring awake. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up a Clint. "Good morning, Katniss." "Morning." He replied with a warm smile. He watched as Natasha picked up her phone and read her first message. She frowned. She read the second message and smiled. "Can we go out to eat?" She asked. "After we wake everyone up." He responded. She shook Kendall lightly to get her to awake. Kendall's eyes fluttered open as Natasha said her name. "Come on, we're going out to eat." She grabbed her hand and pulled her up off the couch. She turned to Clint. "You wake them up, I'm getting her ready." Clint nodded and Natasha exited the room with Kendall. While they got ready Clint went around the room and woke everybody up. "Now that you are all up, get ready. We are going out to eat and leaving at 9:30." Everyone nodded and went to their rooms.

It was 9:20 when everyone was in the living room, waiting to leave. Tony was attempting to teach Steve how to use a phone, again. Bruce was talking to Sam and Thor about science. Thor looked pretty confused, very confused actually. Natasha and Alex were talking about his wife and kids meeting them in the lobby. Clint, Pietro, and Wanda were talking to Kendall. "Are you an only child?" Pietro asked. Kendall smiled and nodded. "What do you think of Natasha?" Clint asked. Kendall looked at Natasha and back to Clint. "She is very nice and sweet. She helps me through bad dreams. She tells me that I have caring people around me and that I am safe. And also that I can talk to her if I have a problem." Kendall replied with a big grin. "Do you think of Natasha as family?" Wanda asked as she stared into Kendall's blue eyes. "Yeah. She's like my mommy, but prettier, nicer, and calmer." Kendall replied. "So like a mother figure?" Pietro asked. "Yeah." She said as she made eye contact with him. "Do you want her to be your mommy?" Clint asked. Kendall nodded with a small smile. Honestly, everyone noticed how close Kendall was to Natasha, but never questioned it. They also noticed how Natasha was so nice and sweet to Kendall. They could practically see them as mother and daughter. But then again, they never questioned it.

The big hand hit 6 on the clock. The girls piled into Pepper's truck and the boys in Tony's. They arrived at Bubby's and took a large booth in the back. Clint and Kendall sat next to Natasha. Natasha propped her leg onto Clint's lap and he held it in place. There were orders of waffles, pancakes, biscuits, breakfast burritos, and muffins. Everyone was served and Tony started talking about his attempts of teaching Steve how to use a phone. There were laughs and some comments here and there. 45 minutes passed and everyone was stuffed, except Thor because he is a demi god with a huge appitite.

Tony paid and left a tip. They all got in the car and drove to Central Park. Most buildings were repaired. Clint looked at the building that collapsed on Natasha and Kendall. He thought back to that incident. Natasha's pale face, cold body, and faint pulse. Her two broken ribs and her leg got injured. He wanted to cry just thinking about it, seeing his partner so lifeless in his arms broke him. He pushed that thought out of his head and walked over to Natasha who was sitting on the bench and on her phone. He sat down next to her with a "Hey, where's Kendall?" She looked up. "Picking flowers with Wanda." "You know, she thinks of you as family." "She is my family now, just like you and the rest of the Avengers." Natasha responded. "She thinks of you as a mother figure." Clint said. To be honest, I feel like I am mothering her. She is like a daughter to me. I want the best for her, to keep her safe, happy, healthy, and to give her love and care." Natasha said as she rested her head on his shoulder. He put an arm around her. She looked at Kendall and Wanda picking flowers. "I think you should adopt her." Clint started. "If she is not adopted, then she could get sent to the orphanage. And I know you don't want that to happen." Natasha couldn't deny that. She didn't want to give Kendall up to the orphanage. Clint noticed Natasha was thinking. He was scared that she was going to say no. "I think you're right. I don't want to give her up to the orphanage. She has already made connections with most of the team. I don't want her to start over. I really should adopt her. Thanks for the idea." "You need to do the paper work and go to court. Tony can help you with the court. We can only tell Tony and that's it, okay?" "But what about my brother?" "Don't tell him either." Clint said. "We can make it a surprise for both Kendall and the team." "You are just filled with good ideas, Clint." Natasha said. "Oh I know." Clint said. Natasha smiled and rolled her eyes.


	10. Chapter 10

Natasha looked back down at her phone. It was 1:15. She grabbed Alex and walked to the tower which was a 10 minute walk. They got there by 1:27. They sat in the lobby and waited for the family to appear. Alex was pacing and Natasha was reading on her phone when the door chimed. They turned their heads to see Luara and the kids walking behind her. Natasha stood up, slipped her phone in her pocket, and walked over to them. "Auntie Nat!" Lila yelled and ran up to her. Natasha picked her up and spun her around. "Hey Lila, it's good to see you again. Well all of you." Natasha put Lila down, then gave Cooper and Peter hugs. Luara gave her a hug. "Oh my gosh, Natasha. What happened to your leg?" "A building fell on it because I saved a child's life." "You are one hero." "And you are one super mom." Natasha replied. They soon left to their hotel and Natasha and Alex walked back to Central Park.

"There you guys are. We were looking for you. Where did you guys go?" Tony asked. "My family is in town. As in wife and kids." Alex says. Natasha walks over to Clint. "Did you tell Tony?" "Yes, he said that you can meet with the judge and his lawyers at ten tomorrow morning. The bad thing is, Pepper had to know about it." "That's okay. I secretly wanted someone else to know anyway." Natasha said as she shrugged. "Okay everyone, let's go home!" Tony yelled. As normal, the girls were in Pepper's truck and the boys in Tony's. They drove back to the tower and had lunch. After that, Pepper helped Natasha change her bandages. They talked about the adoption and how Pepper would go with her. Then everyone talked in the living room. Natasha went to bed earlier than usual so she wouldn't be tired in the morning. Everyone was suspicious but decided to check in early, too.

The next morning, Pepper and Natasha got ready and left for court before anyone woke up. They left a note saying they went to do something important and would be back around 4. Everyone was used to this, so they didn't question it. Everyone went about their day as normal. They ate, they played, they trained, relaxed, just the usual.

Hours passed and Natasha had gotten the certificate that approved Natasha to be Kendall's adoptive mother. Natasha had changed into casual clothing and they were now on their way to the doctor's office for a checkup. Natasha took a regular room. They tested her reflexes. She would have to keep her torso wrapped for a few more weeks. Her leg would have to be wrapped for eight to ten more days. They made sure that she didn't open any stitches and then completed the basic health procedure. "Make sure to change out your bandages and be careful with your leg. You are now free to go, ma'am." The nurse said as she gave them more wrapping tape. They paid and thanked her before heading out to the truck.

"I still don't like the doctor's office." Natasha said to Pepper while they were on their way home. "So you'd rather be treated by S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Pepper asked. "Of course. It would be hard to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. You could easily sneak into the hospital and try to kill someone." Natasha said as they pulled into the garage. "You have a point, but it doesn't mean that S.H.I.E.L.D. is immune to getting hacked. But it would be safer having agents protect you while you're in the medical bay." Pepper agreed as they got out of the truck. Natasha pulled out the bag that held the certificate and the bag that held her wrapping tape. They continued to talk about the pros and cons of public and private doctors' offices until they reached their floor. The doors slid open and on the other side, there was screaming, yelling, and loud music. They walked into Kendall's room and closed the door behind them.

"Kendall, I have a present for you." Natasha said as she approached her with Pepper following. They sat down on the bed next to Kendall. Natasha handed her the bag with the certificate. Kendall took the bag and opened it. She pulled out a framed paper that said in bold words, "Congratulations Kendall Elle Smith! You have been adopted by Natasha Romanoff!" Kendall couldn't read most of the words, so Pepper read it to her. Kendall looked at Natasha teary eyed and Natasha pulled her into a hug. "Thank you." was all Kendall could fit before breaking out with tears of joy. "Don't thank me. I wanted to do this." Natasha said as she held Kendall said. Pepper started to get misty eyed, too. She left the room to give them privacy.

She walked into the living room to find everyone spying on Natasha and Kendall from the security cameras hidden in Kendall's room. "Are you spying on Natasha and Kendall?" Pepper asked placing her hands on her hips. "Nobody told us that Natasha was adopting Kendall. Apparently Clint, Tony, and you knew." Wanda said as she squinted at them. "Well she wanted to keep this a secret and tell you herself, but she can't do that now." Clint said kind of annoyed. "Listen guys, she did something sweet and nice. I bet we could all tell that this was going to happen. Be happy, Kendall is part of a family now." Alex said defending his sister. "Well what's done is done, and Alex is right. We should be happy for the both of them. So let's stop arguing and continue spying on them." Tony said. They all turned back to the screen to find it black. Natasha and Kendall walked out from behind it with a long black cord. "You should really leave the spying to the actual spy." Natasha smirked and dropped the cord. "Wow. We didn't even hear you come in." Steve said with shock. "No duh. That's what spies are trained to do, Captain Obvious." Natasha said as she and Kendall walked towards the group. "Well congrats on the adoption, both of you." Jane said as she gave them both a hug. "Yeah, sorry I told everyone." Tony said with a scared face. "That's okay, I kinda knew you were going to tell them anyway." Natasha said as she patted his shoulder. "Does this mean that I'm an uncle?" Alex said with a twinkle in his eyes. Natasha smiled and nodded. Kendall just smiled and leaned against Natasha. Kendall stared up at Alex and smiled. He just ruffed her bright red hair and returned the smile. That cute moment was interrupted by a ding at the elevator. Luara and the kids walked out and into the living room. "Auntie Nat!" Lila let go of Peter's hand and gave Natasha a hug. "Who are they?" Tony asked. "This is my family. My wife, Luara, and my kids, Lila, the youngest, Cooper, the middle, and Peter, the oldest." Alex said as he hugged Luara. Whose the little one? Luara said as she crouched down to Kendall's level. "This is Kendall...My daughter." Natasha smiled at the last two words. "I was adopted today." Kendall said with a smile. "How old are you?" Lila asked. I'm four, and will be five on May 8th." Kendall said as she turned to Lila. "I turned five a few weeks ago. Am I invited to your birthday party?" Lila asked. Kendall smiled and nodded. Lila looked at Cooper and Peter. "Don't be scared, come say hi." She waved them over. "Hello Kendall. I'm Peter and that's Cooper." Peter tilted his head to Cooper. Kendall smiled and waved. "Don't be shy. I won't bite." Peter said as he patted her on the shoulder. "Cooper is a bit shy so that'll take some getting used to." Kendall just nodded and looked up to Natasha who was talking to Clint. Kendall tugged on Natasha's shirt to get her attention. Natasha looked down at Kendall and the rest of the kids. "Meeting at my legs, huh? Are any of you hungry or thirsty." "Yes!" They said in unison. "Well you can't eat on the floor. Come to the table." Clint said. He showed everyone to the table. "Your dinner will be served in about an hour. Please, talk, get to know each other while you wait." A robotic voice spoke. Clint and Natasha walked into the kitchen and started making spaghetti.

Natasha didn't know what she was feeling, but it only occured when she was around Clint. Her heart always skipped a beat whenever he flashed that smile that was reserved only for her. Whenever she had nightmares about her past, he was always there, comforting her and telling her that she is okay. She always quoted that love is for children, but sometimes Clint makes her feel like she can go against that. When they have a serious conversation, she can't help but get lost in his ocean blue eyes. Whenever they hug, she wanted to stay in his grasp forever, but always let go before her feelings get the best of her. She thought to herself, do I actually like Clint as more than partners, more than friends? Maybe she does, but doesn't have to courage to tell him.

Clint knew that he liked her more than friends. He liked her fiery red hair and how it bounced when she moved. He liked those emerald green eyes that he could stare into all day. He loved her laugh and her warm hugs. He loved how she could trust and easily open up to him. He loved movie nights when she always fell asleep on his shoulder, how she used him as a pillow and for warmth. He loved her, but doesn't have to courage to tell her.

Natasha and Clint talked about her injuries while they cooked. "How's your leg doing?" "Just 8 to 10 more days until it is fully healed." "And your torso?" "It will be healed in a few weeks. My stitches didn't open. So other than my injuries, I'm perfectly fine." She replied as she mixed the sauce. "You know, that's very nice." Clint said to her. Natasha stopped looked at him confused. "That you adopted Kendall." He looked at her. She smiled. "I wanted to. Like I said yesterday, I don't want her to go the orphanage." "I think she is most comfortable with you. She talks to you more than she talks to anyone else. She comes to you with her problems. She can trust you." Clint said as he took her hands in his. She looked at him. "Isn't that what a mother wants from her child?" She said looking him in the eye. "Its what everyone wants, from everyone." He responded. "I can't trust many people. Many people can't trust me. I want Kendall to trust me, I want people to trust me, but that's sorta impossible when you are a killing machine, monster." Natasha said with a sad smile as a tear threatened to fall. "Tasha, you're not a killing machine, or a monster. We know that deep down inside, you are a nice woman. I can see that your kindness is surfacing, especially when you are around Kendall. You're not a monster, and you will never be." He squeezed her hands. They never broke eye contact. A tear rolled down her cheek and fell on one of his hands. He pulled her into a hug and she let it all out. She silently sobbed into his chest and he rubbed her back.


	11. Chapter 11

Natasha stopped crying and was now splashing cold water on her face. "Tasha, are you okay? He asked as he held out a towel. She took the towel and dried her face. She sighed, "Yeah, let's just finish cooking." She said as she turned back to the stove. Her walls were up again. Clint sighed and strained the noodles.

A few minutes later dinner was served, but instead of eating, Natasha went to her room. She sat down on her bed and began reading the book that she got last week. About an hour later, her door opened and someone slipped in. It was Clint. He closed the door behind him and walked to the bed. "Tasha, you are going to have to eat. That is what keeps you alive." Clint said as he sat down next to her. Natasha didn't look up from her book. "I'm not hungry. I ate with Pepper earlier." Natasha lied. But she really wasn't hungry. Plus, she didn't want to see him after what her breakdown in the kitchen. Clint could see right through her. "Don't tell me that this is about what happened in the kitchen." "Fine. Then I won't tell you." She snapped. "Natasha," She hasn't heard her first name come out of Clint's mouth for years. She looked up at him. "I liked what went down in the kitchen, you might not, but I do. I look out for you because you are special to me. You understand me, you trust me. When that building collapsed on you, I had the whole team looking for you. When I came across you, you were cold, there was debris on you, you were pale, and had a faint pulse. When I saw you so vulnerable, so lifeless, I just wanted to cry." His voice started to crack. He took her cold hands in his warm ones and squeezed them lightly and looked directly into her eyes. "Natasha, I like you more than partners, more than friends. I love you." One tear became two, two became four, and four became more. She was crying. Clint pulled her close. "I love you, too." was all she could fit before she buried her head in his chest. Before he knew it, she was asleep in his grasp. He gently laid her head on the pillow and pulled the blanket over her. He smiled to himself and quietly left her room.

45 minutes had passed and Natasha was awake. She walked into her bathroom and washed her face. Then she pulled her hair into a ponytail and headed for the door. She walked into the kitchen and poured herself some lemonade. "Mommy?" There was a quiet voice. Natasha looked down. "Yes hun?" She said back. "Can I have some lemonade, too?" Natasha nodded. She reached up to the cabinet and grabbed a plastic cup. She poured the lemonade until the cup was three fourths full. She handed Kendall the cup with a smile. "Thank you" was all she said before she ran off to her room. Natasha put the lemonade back into the refrigerator and turned around to find Alex. "What do you want?" Natasha asked with her hands on her hips. "Wow, you can sure be bipolar sometimes." He said with a smile. Natasha just rolled her eyes and he continued, "Anyways, is there something between you and Clint?" He asked. "Nothing that I know of, why?" She said as she lifted her glass to her mouth. "Well, you two seem close, very close. I know he's your partner and your friend, but he seems attracted to you." "That's because he is." "And how do you know that?" "Because he told me." "Do you like him?" "I can't lie to my dear brother, can I?" "No. I can't lie to you, it's kinda impossible. So therefore you can't lie to me. Wait, stop changing the subject. Do you like him?" Natasha sighed, "Yeah. He's just so sweet. He knows how to make me smile." "So, do I need to give him a talk?" "Why would you do that?" "To see if he's good enough for my little sister." "Alex, he doesn't need a talking to. He perfect the way he is." "Well as long as my sister is happy, I'm happy." He smiled and gave her a hug. "Aw. My sister has a crush." "You know, I would be happier if you didn't say anything that has to do with my love life." "Gladly, my sassy sister." They pulled apart and smiled. "I'm still going to talk to him." He said as he headed to his room. Natasha rolled her eyes and walked into the living room where everyone else was sitting.

"Look who is finally awake." Tony said as smiled at her. "It was only 45 minutes." She said as she sat down next to Clint. "And 45 minutes can be a long period of time." "And it can be a short period of time, too." Pepper said. "Okay, okay, you win." Tony said as he put his hands up in surrender. Natasha smirked and leaned back against the soft cushion of the couch. She pulled her phone out and started to read the online version of her book. "You read too much, you little bookworm." Clint nudged her. "It's something to do in silence and I like reading." She said as she kept reading. Clint started to think. "A Hunger Games moviemarathon. Tony said if we have time. We have time right now." "I don't care what we do as long as it's not quiet." Wanda said with a huff. Everyone nodded except Natasha because she was reading and not really listening to what they were saying. "But do we have to watch Hunger Games? Why not Star Wars or you know, something we haven't seen a billion times?" Sam complained. "Well if you didn't know, Hunger Games is the absolute best movie series in the history of time." Clint said rolling his eyes. "He's right, Clint. We've watched that series a billion times with you. Let's watch another movie." Pepper backing Sam up. "Natasha, help me." Clint begged. "I will not take part in this stupid debate. I honestly don't want to watch a movie marathon right now. I want some peace and quiet...To myself." She said as she pushed herself off of the couch. She grabbed her book and went outside to the garden and sat on the bench.

"Well this debate is the rest of the team, minus Natasha, to 1." Bruce said. "Yay, no Hunger Games!" Cheered Tony. "I think we should just watch a movie or two. Everyone agreed. Lila's voice filled the room. "Where is Auntie Nat?" "I think she is in the garden." Clint says. He noticed that Alex and Kendall were with her. They were holding papers and a box. They quickly shuffled into the elevator.

Natasha pulled her rubber band out of her hair and listened to the song of the birds. The wind played with her hair and danced with the flowers. She was opening her book when three people appeared before her. Lila and Kendall gave her some drawings and ran inside after they got hugs. Alex was last. "Natalia, this is going to be hard for you to take in and hard for me to tell you. After you were taken by the Red Room Mom and Dad told me that if I found you, I needed to give these three things. This note is handwritten by Mom." He handed her the paper and she started to read it out loud.

Dear Natalia,

I miss you with all my heart. What I would give to see my little girl again. Your brother is depressed. Your dad is trying to get you back and bring whoever took you to justice. Alexi misses his dance partner and best friend. I am trying to lighten the mood with everything I've got. I just want my little girl back. I didn't even say goodbye. I will always remember how your smile would brighten the room. And how your laugh can make others happy. We just hope you come back, grown up or not, you will always be my little girl. Just remember, I love you with all of my heart.

Sincerely, Momma

A tear slipped from her eye and she slowly wiped it away. She was actually okay with crying in front of her brother. "Are you ready for the next one. It's from Alexi. When we were looking for clues after you got taken away, he found these underneath the couch. He held out a nicely wrapped box. She ripped off the wrapping paper and opened the box. First, she pulled out a nicely framed picture. She held back tears that threatened to spill. It was a picture of Alexi and herself playing in the flowers. They were about four or five when it was taken. Natasha set it aside and pulled a bracelet out. It was a chain bracelet with a cursive "N". "That's the bracelet he gave you for your fifth birthday. You lost it a few months after. He knew how much it meant to you, so he searched through the house and found it behind the TV." "Is he still alive?" She asked as she slipped the bracelet on her wrist. "Yeah, he's in LA, I visit him occasionally. Whenever I do, you become the topic of our conversations. He really wants to see you again. I'm going to visit him in a few weeks for his birthday. Maybe you can tag along." Natasha just nodded. "Are you ready for the last one? It's from Mom and Dad." She nodded and he opened the box for her this time. In if, sat a golden necklace with a heart locket. Without taking the necklace out of the box, she opened the locket and another tear slipped from her eye. She closed the locket, took the necklace out, and held it to her chest. Alex pulled her close and hugged her tight. He rubbed her back to soothe her. She rested her head on his chest. "Can you put it on me?" She asked. It was kind of muffled, but he knew what she was saying. They pulled apart and she handed him the necklace, then she turned around. He bought the necklace in front of her and clipped it in the back. He pulled out the hair that was trapped in by the necklace and turned her around. He moved a strand of hair out of her face, "You look exactly like Mom. They miss you and they want to hold you in their arms just one more time." "They are alive, too?" She asked as she toyed with her bracelet. "In Florida. Hoping to visit them soon. I know for sure that I will bring you along, and Kendall if she'd like to. Do you want to head inside? It's getting dark." He asked. Natasha nodded, then picked up her book and picture. They walked back inside smiling. "I guess you do have a breaking point." Alex said as he looked down at Natasha. "But it's hard to find" She said with a smirk. "It was easy for me." He responded. "That's because you're my brother, you have to know my breaking point, that's one of your jobs." She laughed. "Mom was right, your laugh can make anyone smile." He said as he patted her head. She opened the locket again and smiled. Her parents, brother, and herself, all in formally dressed. They were so young. All Natasha cared about was that her childhood best friend is alive, and her parents are alive.

What they didn't know was that the rest of the Avengers were watching this scene from the window. They all wondered, what was in that locket they made her breakdown like that?


	12. Chapter 12

Once Natasha and Alex came up the elevator, Natasha ran straight to her room and Alex walked over to the rest of the team.

Natasha enters her room and places her picture on her bedside table. She then put her mom's note behind the picture in the frame so that she could always find it. She showered and fell asleep.

Kendall skipped into Natasha's room to find her asleep. She really wanted her to tuck her in. She quietly closed the door and walked into the living room. "Hey Kendall, aren't you supposed to be in bed?" Bruce asked. "Yes, but I need someone to tuck me in." "Where's Natasha?" Clint asked. "She's sleeping." "Wow, already. Who do you want to tuck you in?" Steve asked. Kendall looks around and points to Alex. "Alex!" She jumps. "Okay, let's get you to bed." They walk down the hallway to Kendall's room. Kendall opens the door and runs to her bed. She jumps into it. "Why was mommy crying earlier?" "Tears of joy. She gets to see her parents soon, which are your grandparents. She gets to see her childhood best friend soon. She was happy. You don't worry about a thing, little one. Sweet dreams." With that said, he tucked her in and kissed her forehead. He turned off the lights and tiptoed out of her room, closing the door behind him. He then checked on Natasha, to see if she was actually asleep, which she was.

Alex walked back into the living room and sat on the couch. "So, what was in that locket that made Natasha cry?" Wanda asked with worry filling her eyes and voice. "First of all, there is nothing to be worried about. Those tears were tears of joy, she was happy. In the locket was a picture of our family. Our parents, herself, and I. We were all very young back then. It was a few years before she was taken away from us. I searched for her. Then I found her two years ago. She didn't even know she had a brother and she thought her parents were dead. She was tortured and brainwashed. Their modo she learned was, 'You have no place in the world, you are a cold-hearted killer, love can kill you'. She really stood by that and still stands by it, but not as strongly. I found out that she worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury sent her to destroy the Red Room because they were getting too close to recruiting her back, and he couldn't really send anyone else. He didn't want to send her in the first place, fearing she would get badly injured or worse. It was a very risky task, but she took it right off the bat without hesitation. She said these exact words, 'They made me into a cold-hearted killer, so I'm going to destroy that prison like I don't have a heart at all.'. I begged her not to go, but she never listened. She was badly injured when she came back and required 3 surgeries. She was stabbed, shot, and mentally scarred. Then after a few days, she drifted into a coma for about 2 months. I hated seeing my sister in a state of never waking up and I could sense that Fury felt the same way, but we were glad that she destroyed the ficility that took her away from me. When she was healed and healthy, Fury flew her back to New York to be with you guys and because he might have missed her just a little. Don't tell her that I told you, you don't want to see her mad. She hates talking about her past and especially anyone else talking about it." He said with some anger towards the middle. Everyone felt sorry for what he went through, and felt bad for what had happened to Natasha. They all went to bed thinking about what Alex had said.

A few weeks later...

Natasha was finally healed from head to toe and was excited to start training again. Unfortunately for her, everyone was going to the State Fair and everyone means everyone except Bruce. It was a nice, sunny, hot day in New York. Wanda chose Natasha's outfit. It was a white, elbow high shirt with light blue skirt overalls that stopped just above her knees, and to top it all off, some ankle high, white sandals. "Promise me Nat, you look amazing for a day that is going to be amazing. I think this is the best outfit that I have done all day. Although this is the only outfit I have done all day, not including my own." Wanda assured as Natasha walked out of the bathroom. "Well, I will say that this is an outfit that I've never imagined me wearing." She said as she twirled. "Yeah. All the girls are wearing some form of overalls, even Kendall and Lila. It sure is something different, but casual." Wanda said as she circled Natasha. Wanda caught a glimpse of her necklace. "That necklace looks amazing on you. The gold really brings out your eyes." "Thanks Wanda. You are very sweet, but shouldn't we be helping everyone else ready?" Wanda nodded and they exited Natasha's room. Natasha checked Kendall's room and found Luara fully dressed and helping Lila and Kendall. "Hey Nat, you look pretty." Luara said with a smile. "Thanks, you three look pretty as well. Just checking in. We leave in 5 minutes and we are walking since there will be no parking spaces and the fair is just around the corner." She said before turning and walking out of the room.

5 minutes later...

Natasha and Wanda were waiting for everyone to come down. They heard multiple doors open and close, then jumbled up footsteps. Then they heard yelling, something often heard in the tower. The boys ran into the living room almost tripping over each other. "Where are the other girls?" Pietro asked as he plopped down on the couch. "I'll go get them. I need to grab my phone anyway." Natasha walked out of the room and into the hallway. She first knocked on Jane's door, nothing. Then she knocked on Pepper and Tony's door, no one. She walked down to Kendall's room and everyone was there. Luara was sewing up a rip in Pepper's shirt. "Everyone who is not Pepper or Luara, go downstairs. Grab an apple if you didn't eat. And don't forget your sunglasses, the sun is high and bright." Natasha said as her fingers drummed on the door. Everyone but Pepper and Luara got up and left. "Hurry up. The boys are getting anxious." Natasha warns. "GIRLS, HURRY UP!" Tony yelled. "See, come on. Tie the knot and go." Natasha said and walked out of the room. Luara quickly tied the knot and Pepper and Luara quickly followed her.

"Finally! You guys took like 3 years in there. We could have been at the fair already!" Tony whinned. "Well if you stop whining, we could be on our way out of the door already, right?" Natasha said as she walked towards the door with the girls following. Tony and the boys quietly followed. "Ugh, it hot!" Sam whinned. "That's what you get for wearing pants when it's 84 degrees outside." Alex said patting Sam on the back. "You should've just worn a skirt like Natasha. I don't see her whining, or any of the the girls." Steve teased. "Natasha is actually wearing a skirt? That's the first. They are all either wearing skirt overalls or overall shorts if you didn't notice." Tony said. "Speaking of Natasha, she has been acting...off. She is smiling, less threatening, less talkative, to us anyways. If she does talk to us, its always a smart-ass comment. She talks to the girls when they are around. Other than that, she is quiet. She reads, she cooks, she likes peace and quiet, the sound of nature, very independent. More independent than she was three years ago." Clint said as he rubbed his chin. "Wow, you are falling for her hard." Tony poked Clint in the shoulder. Clint blushed madly and looked over to Natasha who was lightly blushing with a small smile. She looked back and made eye contact with him, then blushed a bright red and quickly turned to Wanda who was right beside her. "See, I think she has a crush on you." Pietro said in a taunting voice. Clint smiled to himself.

"Natasha, you can't deny that you like him. It's obvious that he likes you." Wanda said with excitement in her voice. "Your right, I can't deny that I like him. I mean look at me, I'm blushing. I do not blush, I'm not sup-" "Stop, we already know where that will end up. Let's go to beginning, why do you like him?" "He is just so nice, sweet, caring, not to mention his eyes that you could just stare into for hours. He can light up my day with that smile, sometimes. He has a charm that rubs off just a little on everyone that's around." "Wow, I have never heard those words come out of your mouth." Pepper said with surprise. "What, I can have a soft spot. It's just very hard to reach. I have many layers and they are all very thick. I only give my heart to people that I know and trust that they will keep it safe. You guys are two of those people." "You know if you date Clint or anyone at that matter, Alex would have to give them 'a talk'." Pepper said with a laugh. "Yeah, Alex is very protective of me. I wouldn't be surprised if he monitored my dates. Plus Fury would rather me not have a love life because it can interfere with a mission or be a distraction on the battlefield." Natasha said as she played with her bracelet. "Screw that, everyone deserves a love life." Wanda said.

They continued walking until they reached the State Fair that was located in a big open field. Peter decided to take Kendall, Lila, and Cooper on the kiddie rides, then all couples went their own ways, leaving Clint, Natasha, Wanda, and Steve. Natasha and Wanda continued to talk as Clint and Steve just watched. They stopped at a hot dog stand and sat down at a table. "How is the fair treating you so far, ladies?" Steve asked as he handed them their hot dogs. "Eh, not much excitement, but its okay. Honestly, I would rather be in my room, reading." Natasha said as she unwrapped her hot dog. "I agree, it is kind of boring. We have been here for about two hours and nothing exciting has popped up. All we have been doing is walking. All the walking I want to do is walking home" Wanda said before taking a bite of her food. "What do you guys think?" Natasha asked. "There is nothing that catches my eye, but there has to be something." Clint said as he stirred his drink. "I am partly on Clint's side and on your side. Yes we've been walking around for two hours and we could be doing something better at home, but you didn't really look at the booths." Steve said. "Yeah, because I'd rather be looking into a book or even training, but I got dragged out here anyways." Natasha said before taking a sip of her soda. Wanda snickered at her comment. "C'mon Tasha,you need to get out of the tower on your free time." Clint said with a smile. "I do, I go to the park, to the mall, on morning jogs, see I do get out of the tower in my spare time." Her statement earned an eye roll from Clint. "Mommy!" A high pitched, girly voice called out behind Natasha. Kendall ran up to her mother and was pulled into her lap. Peter then sat down next to Natasha holding a sleeping Lila and a half asleep Cooper. "They got tired after a bunch of rides and a sugar rush." Was all he could say. "I'm hungry, there were only sweets and I didn't feel like eating sweets, I want _food_ food." Kendall said while patting her stomach and looking up at Natasha. "Eat this then." Natasha unwrapped another hot dog, put some ketchup on it, and gave it to Kendall. She then passed one to Peter who dug in. "So, what was the scariest ride you went on?" Clint asked. Kendall thought for a moment. "The rocking boat. It went high in the sky. Peter said, the back are best seats because their the scariest seats, so we sat toward the middle, but it was still super scary." She replied with hand motions. Kendall, Natasha, and Clint talked amongst themselves as Peter, Lila, Cooper, Wanda, and Steve went to the bathroom. Kendall began to drift off to sleep. "I think we should start heading home since she is asleep, and you are bored out of your mind." Clint said with a sigh. " _We_ " Natasha asked with an arched eyebrow. "Yes _we._ You're not the only one who is bored out of their mind. I'll text Steve that we are leaving." Clint said with that charming smile only reserved for her. Natasha just blushed lightly and smiled as she got up. She readjusted Kendall's head on her shoulder and started walking beside Clint. "So, Tasha," Clint blushed and started to get her attention, "Are you free Saturday evening?"


	13. Chapter 13

Previously...

"Tasha, are you free Saturday evening?"

Now... "

If I can get someone to watch Kendall, then yes." Natasha said as her cheeks turned a bright pink. "But," Natasha started, "you need to talk to Alex if you are calling this a date." "Then it looks like I have to talk to Alex." Clint said smiling down at her. She looked up at him and mirrored his expression. They continued to walk in comfortable silence, but still making eye contact followed up by smiles every few minutes.

When they entered their floor, a gust of cold air filled the elevator. It was refreshing, yet too much. Kendall stared to shiver and Clint rubbed his arms. "How are you not cold?" Clint asked. "I'm Russian, I've lived in this temperature for most of my life, although I'm a little cold, it doesn't get to me." Natasha said as they walked down the hallway. She opened Kendall's door and laid her on her bed. She pulled the blanket up to her chin and quietly left her room. "So what time?" She asked Clint who was leaning on the doorframe. "6. Dress casually, we are not going somewhere fancy, so I know you will like it." He said as they walked back to the living room. Natasha nodded and smiled. Natasha sat down on the couch while Clint went to turn up the thermostat, he was really cold. Then he joined Natasha on the couch. He turned on the TV and surfed through the channels. He finally stopped at a channel playing the movie, Transformers. "Victory" was all he said before clicking the OK button on the remote. The TV screen displayed gigantic robots in the city. The two made themselves comfortable and began to watch the movie quietly.

They were about 20 minutes into the movie when Steve, Wanda, Peter, Lila, and Cooper showed up. Cooper was asleep in Steve's arms and Lila in Peter's. Once they were placed on the couch, Peter fell asleep next to them. Steve said Wanda settled into the couch across from him. "What is this?" Steve asked after a couple of minutes of watching. Natasha paused the movie when Clint gasped and rested his right hand on his heart, "I know you did not just ask that bogus question. Transformers, one of the greatest movies of all time, next to Hunger Games. It's one of the movies on my 'Best Movies List'" "Oh stop that, you are being overdramatic." Natasha said giving him a playful punch in the arm. "Someone could have told me you were here." Bruce said as the elevator doors opened. "Hey Bruce, how is science treating ya? What's in the box?" Clint said ignoring his statement. "Uh, good. Just finished up tweaking Natasha's Widow's Bites. They now have three times the original power." He said as he handed the box to Natasha. She took the box and opened it. She took one out and it lighted up immediately. "I modified them to where they would automatically turn on at your touch and yours only. Cool right?" "Yeah, definitely will be using these more often. Thank you." She said as she set them back into the box. The light turned off and she closed the box. Bruce just nodded in dismissal. He walked over to the kitchen, "What are you making for lunch" Wanda asked. "I actually don't know. I guess I will have to look in the cookbook. And it's not going to be pizza, Clint." Bruce responded while taking out the cookbook. Clint cursed under his breath loud enough for Natasha to hear. "Oh Steve, someone is using foul language." Natasha said with a smirk. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" Steve said with a small smile. "Well when I die, I will just haunt you with it, so no." She said with a regular, a real smile tugging at her lips. It wasn't often for Natasha to smile. A real smile. Clint enjoyed seeing them, they light up his day. So he just smiled and unpaused the movie.

Bruce couldn't decide on what to make for lunch, so he ordered Chinese takeout. "Why didn't you just order pizza?" Clint asked with a sigh. "Because nobody wanted pizza but you. Plus we have a pizza night next week, no point in wasting it now." Wanda said with a grin. Everyone either got Chow Mein or Fried Rice. "See, that was better than pizza." Bruce said as they threw their boxes away. "Hmph, I guess so." Clint said trying not to smile, but failed. "He's smiling, he agrees." Natasha said as Clint just rolled his eyes and sat down next to her. "Now, can we finish the movie without anymore interruptions?" Clint said looking around the room. "There is only five minutes left, and they are the credits, let's watch another movie that is not Hunger Games related." Bruce said as he sat down on the other side of Steve. Clint sighed once again. "Fine, but nothing scientific or documentaries. Those make me fall asleep within the first 10 minutes." Clint fired back. "How about a comedy?" Wanda suggested, but they didn't hear her. "We can watch a comedy in my room if you want." Natasha said being the only person to hear her. Wanda nodded and they snuck out of the room only noticed by Steve.

They slipped into her room and shuffled through the comedies in one of the bins. "Oh, I found one you would like." Wanda said as she pulled the movie out. Natasha walked over to Wanda. "The updated 1961 version of The Parent Trap. I haven't watched this movie every since you left because I always watched this movie with you. Now we can watch it together." "Of course we're watching this. I haven't seen it since I left either. Now put it in." Natasha said and Wanda put in the DVD and dimmed the lights. She sat on the couch and was joined by Natasha and a blanket. Natasha pressed the play button on the remote and The Parent Trap started playing.

"Okay, how about a comedy?" Clint asked. "FINALLY, we agree on something." Bruce said throwing his hands up in the air. "All in favor of comedy say 'I'" Steve said. "I" Bruce and Clint said in unison. "Wait, aren't we missing someone?" Bruce asked. "More like two people. Where did Natasha and Wanda go? They ditched us." Clint said when he looked next to him. "Well while you two were bickering like two mice over a piece of cheese, they went to watch a movie in Natasha's room. Do not disturb them, a knife is most likely going to get thrown at you." Steve said with a smirk. "Well watching a movie just got knocked off the table." Clint said with a sigh. "Why, because your girlfriend isn't here?" Steve teased. "Maybe. And she is not my girlfriend, but she did agree to go out with me. But don't think I haven't seen the goo goo eyes you make at Wanda, America's Golden Boy." Clint blushed. "That's a surprise, and I don't make goo goo eyes at Wanda." "Don't lie, I saw the way you were looking at her during the fair. And the way you look at her on a regular basis." Clint said pointing a finger at, Steve. Bruce just sat quietly and watched them argue.

After about 15 minutes of arguing, Kendall awoke and stumbled into her mom's room. "Mommy," Kendall started sleepily, "It's too loud, I can't sleep." She climbed into her arms and closed her eyes. Natasha rocked her back and forth, rubbing her back. She waited until she fell back into her dream world before laying her on the bed. "I'm going to see what this yelling is about. I'll be right back." Natasha said before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

"Can someone tell me why you are yelling?" Natasha said placing her hands on her hips, but calmly. "It's stupid." Steve said rubbing the back of his neck." "If it's stupid, then don't argue about something stupid unless you are stupid. It's very simple." She turned and walked back to her room. "Smart-ass" Clint said with a smirk. "Thanks." She said before closing the door. "What were they yelling about?" Wanda asked. "When I asked, they said 'It's stupid.' So I just gave them the smartest answer in my book." Natasha replied feeling pleased with herself. She sat back down on her spot before and unpaused the movie.


	14. Chapter 14

**Thursday 12:02 pm/Chick-fil-a**

"So, what are your intentions with Natalia?" Alex asked Clint who was sitting across from him. "Well, I just want to make her happy, fill her head with good memories and wash out the bad." He replied. "When did you two meet?" Alex asked, dipping his fry in ketchup. "About eight years ago. I helped her turn over a new leaf, got her to join S.H.I.E.L.D. About a year and a half after, she gained my trust and I gained hers, we became friends and as the years passed, we became best friends. She was my first best friend in a long time." "When did you realize that you liked her?" "Well I missed her a lot during her 'disappearance'. I was worried sick about her. Over time, she became a sore spot for me. I didn't really come out of my room much unless I had training, a mission, or to eat. It was a really hard time because I couldn't really talk to anyone about my problems, she was the only person that really understood me, next to Phil. Phil always assured me that she's fine, she is a tough and smart girl, she can handle herself, she will come back. That's what kept me going, the reassuring. And when she finally came back, I had butterflies in my stomach, my heart beated rapidly, and I was nervous around her." Clint said before taking a bite of his burger. "Wow, you have it bad for her. Only two more questions. Why do you like her?" "Well she's smart, tough, beautiful, intelligent, confident, courageous, talented, the list can go on. She understands me the most and she is never afraid to speak her mind." Clint said with a smile. "Okay, where are you taking her out to?" "I'm taking her to see Wonder Woman, then we are going out to eat at Chuy's. Then we should be back around 9." Clint replied taking his last bite. "Well Clint, I see how close you two are and you have my blessing to take her out on a date. As long as she is happy, I'm happy.

 **Thursday 1:23 pm/Avengers Tower**

Natasha was sitting in the garden, reading, like always. She turned her attention to Wanda who was teaching Lila, Kendall and their new friend, Annie how to make a homemade flower crown. They met Annie at a park about a few days before the fair. Natasha met her mom, Carol, as the kids played together, running around and screaming. Once park time came to an end, they wanted to play again another time, so Natasha and Carol exchanged numbers and scheduled a playdate for today. Annie had straight, shoulder-length, dirty blonde hair with hopeful brown eyes.

Her thought was interrupted by a Hershey's kiss dropped on her book. She looked up and met a pair of ocean blue eyes staring back into her emerald green orbs. "A kiss for my beautiful date." Natasha smiled, "He said yes?" Natasha asked as she popped the kiss into her mouth. Clint nodded, "Permission granted or I have his blessing, however you want to put it." He said slipping into the spot beside her. He could've sworn that she inched just a little closer to him. He put an arm around her so it wasn't awkward. "Who's she?" He asked after a few minutes of silence. "She is a new friend of Kendall and Lila, Annie. They met at the park last week and wanted to play again another time, so here we are." She said still reading. "Who is the mom?" He asked. Natasha took out her phone and pulled up Carol's contact information. "Carol Danvers, why?" "I've seen her around on the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier alot the past few months. She calls herself Ms.Marvel or Captain Marvel, one of the two. She has these weird alien powers. She helped out the Avengers a few times, and she has always wanted to work with you. I know that Wanda talks to her sometimes, but I didn't know she had a child." "She's nice, and what do you mean 'she has always wanted to work with me'?" She finally turned her attention to Clint. "I mean, she wants to go on missions with you. Maybe she admires you, I don't know, but she does want to go on a mission with you." "Yeah, but I prefer going on missions with you" She said as she opened her book again. She rested her head on his shoulder and started where she left off.

"Mommy, look what Wanda taught us." Kendall pointed to the flower crown on her head. "Wanda said that we are princesses of the flowers if we wear the crowns." "Well you are all princesses weather you're wearing the crown or not. Now, who wants lunch?" Natasha asked as she picked up the basket and blanket beside the bench. The three girls cheered. Wanda finally caught up to them and set up the picnic blanket. There was juice, sandwiches, fruit cups, crackers, and cookies. "Make sure you eat your fruit and sandwich, then you can have the cookies and crackers."Natasha said before eating a grape from her fruit cup. "Okay!" They said in unison before turning back to their food. Wanda told them stories of her and Pietro's childhood while Natasha and Clint talked about his meeting.

"What did he ask you?" Natasha asked. "The daddy questions, _what are your intentions? Where are you going? When did you meet?_ Questions that daddies ask." Natasha laughed. "When me and Alex took Lila and Kendall to the park, they were playing tag with some boys, and he kept yelling 'out run them girls, remember, boys have cooties!'." Clint shook his head, but couldn't help but laugh. "Then how come you're not running from me?" Clint asked with a smile. Natasha patted his cheek playfully, "Because you don't have cooties. I say you don't, so you don't." She ate a strawberry and continued reading. "Auntie Nat, we're done. Can we have cookies now?" Lila asked. Natasha nodded and pulled a container of cookies out of the basket. "These are handmade by Pepper, so when you see her, give her a big hug and a thank you, got it?" They all nodded and Natasha handed her the cookies. "No cookies for us?" Clint asked. "Don't worry, Pepper made everyone some cookies. They are all inside." Natasha assured him.

 **Saturday 5:40 pm/Avengers Tower**

"Are you nervous?" Wanda asked. Natasha stepped out of her closet wearing converse, jeans, and a blue shirt. "Maybe I should because he hasn't told me where we're going, but no, I'm not nervous." Natasha walked over to her bedside table and grabbed her phone. "Remember, Kendall needs to be in bed by 8:30, no later." "Yep, and all the other rules you went over with me for an hour and a half." Wanda said with a face. Natasha laughed and stopped when there was knock at her door. "Come in." The door opened and Kendall slipped in. "Where are you going?" she questioned with a smile. "Out, but Clint won't tell her where." Wanda replied with a smirk. "Yep, I'm going in blind." Natasha said with a sigh. "But you're not blind, mommy." Kendall said with a tilt of her head. "It's a metaphor, honey. 'Going in blind' means, I don't know where or what I'm doing." Natasha said as she moved her hair out of her eyes. "Wanda is going to be watching you, so be nice for her. And if you are, then we can get donuts in the morning. Okay?" "Even chocolate with sprinkles?" Kendall said and gave Natasha a hug. "Even chocolate with sprinkles." Natasha kissed her forehead and happily returned it. They pulled apart as soon as Clint entered, "You ready to go?" He asked. Natasha nodded and turned back to Kendall. "Okay mommy's got to go. Goodnight, be good, love you." Natasha said before exiting her room with Clint.

Once they got in the car, Natasha spoke. "Clint, can you tell me where are we going?" "To the movies, not telling you which, and out to eat at Chuy's. Sappy, I know, but-" Natasha cut him off, "It's not sappy, it's sweet. Plus, this is a two in one, which makes it better." Natasha took his free hand in hers. "I don't care where we go as long as I'm with you." She finished and gave him a squeeze. He mirrored her action, "Now that was sappy, but sweet." "But you know I mean it?" Clint looked at her with a smile, "Of course. I know you, Tasha. You and I both that I know you better than anyone." Natasha smiled and looked out the window, fingers still intertwined with Clint's.

They pulled apart when Clint parked the car. They got out and started walking to the doors. "Now can you tell me what movie we're seeing?" Natasha pleaded once again. Clint sighed, but smiled. "Wonder Woman. I know you will like this movie, considering all the action." "And I know that you know me all too well." Once they were inside, Clint payed for their tickets and they went to sit down. They didn't eat too much popcorn so they wouldn't spoil their appetite for dinner. As the movie played, there were laughs, there were 'oohs', there were flinches. Everything a good movie has.

The movie was over and Clint and Natasha were back on the road to their next destination, Chuy's.

They pulled into a parking space and got out. "A table for two please." He said. Soon, they were seated in a booth with a window.

 **Meanwhile at Avengers Tower...**

The remaining of the team were finishing up dinner while Wanda was tucking Kendall into bed. "Okay, spill. Where is Little Red and Bird Brain?" Tony demanded earning a smack in the head from Pepper. "He actually managed to ask her out. By the looks of it, she said yes." Alex replied with a smirk. "Yes! Pay up, Sam. Fifty bucks on the table!" Tony cheered while Sam dug through his wallet but Pepper stopped him. "No, Sam. Tony has enough money. Besides, we should be happy that our best friends are dating."

"How did she believe that you are siblings?" Steve asked Alex after a few minutes of silence. All eyes landed on Alex, waiting for him to respond. "I found her unconscious and injured in an ally. So I brought her to the nearest hospital. She lost a lot of blood to where she needed a blood transfusion and I volunteered to give her some of mine. They examined our blood types and found that our DNA matches the other. Then they did a little searching and found that we have the same parents. That's when I realized that it was her. At this point she had woken up and felt bad that she assumed her family was dead because of her past. I visited her in the hospital everyday and when she got out, we hung out, she met my wife and kids and they loved her. She told us that she was part of S.H.I.E.L.D. so she couldn't stay in one place too long. She would visit often enough for us to trust her and her to trust us."

 **30 minutes later a** **t Chuy's...**

"What do you want for dessert?" Clint asked after eating the last of his quesadillas. "The strawberry cheesecake sounds good." she replied as she pushed her empty plate away. Clint nodded. "Anything planned for tomorrow?" Clint asked. "Well, I'm sure I'll be taking Kendall to get some donuts in the morning, grocery shopping, laundry, a little paper work, library, then relaxation." She responded as their cheesecake was being served.

"And by relaxation you mean reading." Clint stated as he sliced his dessert.

"In my favorite spot."

"You are the world's greatest bookworm."

"In the flesh."

"I don't like reading, how can you read so much?"

"To me, a book is an open door."

"Open door to what?"

"A different world filled with words that make up a story which you can visualize throughout the book."

"Wow, you seem very... passionate about it."

"I find peace in books. Something nice, silent, and relaxing. A getaway from all the chaos."

"Is that why you read in the garden most of the time?" He asked and she nodded.

They finished up, paid the bill and left a tip. "I had a great time, Clint. Something nice and simple." Clint looked down to his side at the redhead. "I had a great time also." "Will there be another?" She asked, looking up to meet his eyes. "That's up to you." Clint replied with a smile. "I'd love to." She returned his smile.


End file.
